1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a customer service robot, particularly to a mobile robot configured to be capable of ready key management with respect to numerous lock-equipped objects,
2. Description of the Related Art
At auto dealers, safe deposit box facilities, mutlti-family dwellings and the like, the person responsible for safekeeping of the many different keys for the vehicles, safe deposit boxes, apartments etc. (a salesperson, for example) is required to respond to a customer request or instruction by taking out the key concerned and unlocking or locking the associated lock. This is troublesome work.
Techniques for making this work easier have therefore been sought. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 5(1993)-071255, for example, teaches a key safekeeping system in which the cover of a key storage box provided in a safekeeping case is key-locked with a symbolic key and a device for inputting and storing the symbol of the user is built into the safekeeping case and fastened to the door.
On the other hand, as taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 7(1995)-197711, it is common in the case of vehicles to use keyless entry devices that lock and unlock a door by transmitting a signal (Radio Frequency signal) instead of using a key.
Also, as taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-326483, for instance, various mobile robots have been developed that are capable of carrying out tasks in a human living environment.
However, the first prior art '255 uses physical keys and therefore still involves troublesome safekeeping of many keys. Although the second prior art '711 avoids the trouble of managing physical keys, the trouble of having to manage a large number of keys remains unsolved because every vehicle or other object to be locked and unlocked requires a different signal.
Further, the above will not be limited only to the work of unlocking or locking, a sales person at the auto dealers and the like is sometimes required to respond to customer request or instruction, to identify one among objects interested by the customer, and to guide the customer there. This is also troublesome work.